Top.



F. A. PICKETT.

, TOP.

APPLICATION FILED IULY171I915.

1 ,210,098. Patented Dec. 26, 1916.

'FREDERIGK'A. "rrci'rn'rr or 'amnmmronnmnnynnnn, ASSIGNOR OF onn-nici-ictirro can]; VARRELM-ANN AND -,onn:-nrerrrn T rennin-AnnarennELMAnmsoTn-or' To (ZZZ whom itlmay-conccm:

Be it known that I, 'FR'EDERIQK A. PIonnT'r,

acitizen of theUnited States; residing at 'xBaltimore, in the "State of 'Maryland, have invented "certain new and "useful "Improvements in Tops and I do -hereby declare the following to he affull, clear, and exact description of "the inventioin suchjas willen able -others :skilled in the art 'to wliich' it "appertains to make and use-tl1e-sa-me.'

invention relates to tops and top .spinnlng devices, and the primary obj ect of *the i-nventi'on is 'to construct a top having a 'novel forin-of iplate'iwhich'is attached tothe butt "of a .top for "detaohahle connection-with a spinning structurajwhich "includes aspiral shaft or rod composed ofa pa' irfof twisted wires,-a .nut "member for slidable rotary movement over said spiral sha ft or rod for imparting rotation thereto, and a swiven connected handle, which-is attached to the upper end of said,'-spiralshaft *or rod, for holding the same during its spinning rotation and further 'to iconstructthe plate which 'isfattached to tliehu'tt of a' top so-tha t when a spinning rotation is impafted-tothe spiral shaft or red, in one direction, the topwi ll be disconnected from the rod and will spin on the floor," or, any suitable structure; there by providing means for easily spinning a top eliminating the use {of the usual type of top stringer cord which -1nust jbe tediously Wound about the outer sun'fa'ce =of thetop. I

'th 'the'fforegoing and other "objects in 'view, this invention consistsin suh novel features of construction, "combination and l arrangement of parts as will "be hereinafter s more fullydescribed illustrated in the ac- 'companylng-drawings an'd'claimed. I

In describing the-invention indetail, reference will be had'to the accompanying drawings wherein likecha'racters designate like and corresponding parts throughoutthe several Views, and in which Figure 1 is a side -'elevation of the inuproved top and spinning zmeans showing parts thereof in section. Fig. 2 is a perspective View of the nut used 'for 'spinning or rotating the spiral rod; TFig. 3f'isa bottom plan View of the-nut. "Figsec is a sectional View on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1. Fig.

'5'is awertical section throughthe 'upperbutt end ofthe top and the lower end of the spiral spinning rod. Fig. 6 is a top plan "strnction, a butt3. The top ofthe butt 3 of thesspin- -ningI-toplhas a metallic plated secured thereto, which plate is provided with "a cenlfhe opening 5 communi-I ITOP; I v lSpecification of I-etters Patent. l @Pfatehtedflge,2Q1916, aiApplicatioirfiled31115717,1915.Sei'ialNoAOflSfi tional-viewon-the lin-e 7- 7 of "Fig.1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a top of ordinary fconhaving a 313111111115; -po1n't 2 and trail "opening 5; ca'tes with an open1ngs6, which'fisrcentrally dlSPOSBd and extends downwardly into the positioned in and f'for'ming a lining; for the same. "The"platehastwosections 8-and 9 out free from the same and rolled upwardly from the plate and "the Thesections 1-8 and 9, are

m hy"cutting two arcuate slits indicated at 10, extending 1 a portion of *the circumference*-- of a "circle scribed from the central ,&XiS -*o'f the top, and bythe cutting of slits l l whichexten'd :snb-

stantiallytransversely "to the arcuate slits a "10; The Ybulged portions of the-members 8 -and 9 gradually taper inwardly toward the I theslits 1'1,so as to provide a'friction lock "forengagement-with ,a cross pin 12. The ""pin *12 1s"carr1ed by and extends diametfica lly through the lower end of the :section f-l 3ofthe spiral'rodorsha-ft 14. A sleeve or "collar l 5-is niounted'about the lower end-of :the rod or5section1 3, and'the pin 12 extends I through th'esleeve and the lo wer end ofthe rod or section 13', a short 'dista'nce above the lowerends "of the same.

[The spiral rod or shaft 14 is formed of two; sections B and 16, which are'twisted for l forining "the spiral rod. The upper end of "the rod 13 terminates below "the "upper end ofthesection or rod '16. The section or i-"od -16 has a head 17 formed upon its upper terminal'which headis positioned intermediate 'the 'bight portion 18 of the :U-shaped'shaft 1'9, and the under surface of a handle 20 to -which the legs of the U-shaped shaft are attached. The bight p'ortion'18, through connection between the spira'l shafi or rod 14;, and the handle 20. A wear plate 22 is positioned *in'the lower end ofthe handle '20 and for engagement with the head 17 for preventing of the Wearing of the handle by top'of the butt 3.

"butt 'ofthe-top'Tandwhichhas asleeve 7 The lowerend of the section 16 of'the rod or shaft 14 is bent outwardly, as is shown at 24, transversely to the body of the rod 14 and forms a stop for limiting the downward slidable movement of a nut 25, which is mounted upon the spiral rod 14. The nut 25 is provided with a central opening or bore 26, within which is coiled a length of wire 27. The lower end of the nut 25 is provided with an opening 28 formed therein which extends inwardly towardthe bore 26 of the nut and provides a recess for receiving the lower end 30 of the twisted length of wire 27. A staple 31 may be-applied for securingly holding the end 30 within the recess 28. An annular flange 32 is formed upon the lower end of the nut 25 the upper edge of which forms an abutment against which the end of an operators thumb and a portion of the index finger rest when sliding the nut 25 longitudinally upon the spiral rod 14. I

When it is desired to spin the top 1, the pin 12 is placed beneath the 'outstruck bulged portions 8 and 9, as shown in Figs.

1 and 5 ofthe drawings. The friction between the ,end of the pin 12 and the inner surfaces of the bulged out portions 8 and 9 will hold the top and rod 14 asunder ordinary conditions. The nut25 is preferably moved to the upper end of the spiral rod or shaft 14-prior to the connection between the lower end of the shaft or rod and the top 1. The nut 25 is then moved downwardly over the spiral rod 14 toward the top 1, which rotates the rod and consequently the top 1, which is connected to its lower edge. The wire 27 which is twisted within the bore 26 of the nut 25, meshes with the depression formed in the spiral rod 14, and causes the latter to rotate when the nut 25 is moved longitudinally; along the rod. The rotation of the spiral rod 14 occasioned by the downward movement of the nut 25 toward the top 1, will impart rotary motion tothe top, and when the centrifugal force of the rotation of the top becomes great enough to overcome the frictional contact between the rod or pin 12 and the sections 8 and 9, the topwill be disconnected from the rod and fall spinning upon the floor, ground or any other suitable surface. The reverse rotation of the rod 14, oo-

casioned by the upward movement of the nut 25 upon the spiral rod 14 will not disconnect the top 1 from the rod, owing to the fact that this rotation of the top tends to move the pin 12 inwardly Within the portions 8 and 9 and increase thestrength of the connection between the rod 12 and the membersS and 9, while the downward movement of the nut rotates the rod'14 in the direction, so that the force of the rotation of the top will cause the same to move, in I the direction necessary to permit the ends of the rod 12 to pass out of the portions 8 Land, while in the foregoing description: the

principle of the operation of" this invention has been. described together with various features of construction, it is to be understood that certain minor features of construction, combination and arrangement of 7 parts may be altered to suit practical conditions provided suchalterations are comprehended within the scope of what is claimed.

What is claimed is 1. A device of the character set forth comprising a handle, a spirally formed .rod

swiveled to said handle, a second spirally formed rod interlaced with the first mentioned rod and having its lower end bent at right angles to form a stop, a nut mounted on said rods for rotatingthe'rods upon sliding of the nut, and means for detachably securing the first mentioned rod with a top. 5 Y r. l

2. A device of the character set forth comprising a handle, a spiralrod swiveled to said handle, a nut mounted ontsaid rod, a coil wire within said nut for an engagement with the spiral rod to rotate-said rod upon sliding the nut, and means for detachably securing the rod to a top.

3. Adevice of the character set'forth comprising a handle, a spiralrod' swiveled'to said handle, means for detachably securing a top to the rod, a substantially cylindrical nut mounted on said rod and provided with a groove, a coiled wire within said nut for an engagement with the spiral rod and having its lower end bent to extend into the groove, and a staple for securing the end .of the coiled wire in the groove.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses:

A. B. Proxn'r'r, CHAS. W. HART.

7 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 1 

